I Just Wanted to Post an Image Thread

[Miss B]

Yes Rae, compositing is something I often have to do as well, though this new-ish puppy can often handle more complexity than my old one could, I still find items which work better if I add them in afterwards in Photoshop.

 

[KageRyu]

...That's where I've got the "purist" term from. They claim postwork is "cheating" and is therefore heresy. You know them when you see a note accompanying the render that claims "straight from the renderer, no postwork", and there are very proud of it. I just think it's silly.

I have posted such notes - that does not make me a purist. I also use postwork.

 

[Hornet3d]

I have worked as an art professor at a university in Chicago, and some of the bibliography claimed the use of colored lights should be avoided. Depending on who you ask about it, some may agree, some may not. There was also some controversy concerning the use of postwork in 3D renders. We can either fix color correction in minutes with postwork, or spend hours re-rendering until you get the same results. That's where I've got the "purist" term from. They claim postwork is "cheating" and is therefore heresy. You know them when you see a note accompanying the render that claims "straight from the renderer, no postwork", and there are very proud of it. I just think it's silly.

You get such people in most hobbies, one of my other hobbies is model steam railways, now I am amazed that they are able to design and build a working steam engine in a package that is around 12" x 6". There are those however who will complain it is not a very good model because the scale is not exact or that there are too few rivets shown. I would much prefer to see the engine running and smell the unmistakable smell of hot oil and steam than count rivets.

 

[Stezza]

postwork is fun... best part of the day

and handy when you can't get to see the Saturn/Jupiter conjunction thingy 'cause of where you live...

just wing it with postwork

 

[Ken1171]

I have posted such notes - that does not make me a purist. I also use postwork.

You know a purist when they despise your render if it has any kind of postwork - even color correction. They will probably have to despise every movie ever made, because they are all postworked. ^^

 

[parkdalegardener]

I seldom post work an image and am one who tries to do everything in camera. It is because I am a from a time before Lucas when post work in film cost huge time and money, and hand tinting and colouring photographs was still a skill being taught to me in university; along with negative spotting and other corrective measures. No Photoshop or image editors yet existed. I am not against any post work but it is not in my training to expect to be using it right out of the gate. Yes; there is quite a bit of pride in not having to post work an image. That does not mean that it is not valid to do so, but it is slightly demeaning to deride those like myself or Kage who take pride in the fact we do not expect to ship every render into an image manipulation program before we feel confident enough to post it just as others feel that no non-post worked image should ever leave their machines. I am an animator by trade and the thought of taking every frame into post is a job killer. Animation is what got a lot of people into Poser in the old days. Portraits on the other hand always need post work because most people believe they are much more attractive and photograph better than they do and are.

 

[JOdel]

It isn't purists who publicly deride a work because it is or isn't postmarked. It's jerks.
And jerks should find some business of their own to mind.

 

[Ken1171]

@parkdalegardener Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone with the "purist" thing. Like I said above, I respect that option if people are willing to spend the time on it. I just have issues with people who come to despise artwork with postwork, when that is integral part of my pipeline, and I have a lot of fun with it. That first happened to me when I posted at CG Society, which was quite discouraging when I was just getting started with 3D many years ago. They claimed postwork is "cheating", and removed my render, even if I had just adjusted the contrast. Needless to say, I have never posted there again.

Bottom line is that I have issues with groups that belittle artists who use postwork, not the ones who prefer not to use it. Same thing with groups that condemn the use of colored lights, claiming those should never be used, even supported by bibliography. I have bibliography that also claims that "some rules are meant to be broken, nothing in art is absolute".

 

[JOdel]

It's great when I manage to get the whole thing in render and don't have a crying need for postwork (apart from resizing, I always need to do that). And it's a reasonable goal. But deadlines are deadlines, and it doesn't happen often. If someone has to judge an image, judge the final image. Who cares about how many steps it took to get to that point. It isn't a race.

And what is it about autocorrect with the word "postwork"? Postmark, postwar, anything but what I actually typed.
(Got it. Autocorrect is a purist jerk.)

 

[Ken1171]

Even professional photographs posted on National Geographics are postworked. My grandfather owned a photography studio in the early 20th century, and even he did postwork on studio photos. That seemed to be common practice in the days before computers and Photoshop, where postworking involved chemical and mechanical techniques to add grunge and vignette effects. There was a popular technique to overexpose female portraits to give that "high-key" effect that is often used in modern female magazines. This technique has been popular for over a century, way before computers and photoshop. ^____^

 

[JOdel]

Not to mention the kind of photo retouching which always made the "professional beauties" waists just a *little* bit smaller...

 

[Ken1171]

Not to mention the kind of photo retouching which always made the "professional beauties" waists just a *little* bit smaller...

There is a video where a Japanese photography studio uses an EGG to make that happen. If the egg is held at the right place, the waist looks way smaller. No computers involved. Haha

 

[Hornet3d]

Caoimhe was very doubtful that the intelligence was accurate and travelled more in hope than expectation. Now as the looked down on scene below her she began to believe it a little more. If Turlough did not want to be found this is just the sort of place he would be holed up. The Christmas lights, despite the isolation of the spot, would also be in keeping. That left just a few questions, was he really here and how would she be received. Her visit would certainly be a surprise but would it be a nice surprise or not.

 

[Hornet3d]

Even professional photographs posted on National Geographics are postworked. My grandfather owned a photography studio in the early 20th century, and even he did postwork on studio photos. That seemed to be common practice in the days before computers and Photoshop, where postworking involved chemical and mechanical techniques to add grunge and vignette effects. There was a popular technique to overexpose female portraits to give that "high-key" effect that is often used in modern female magazines. This technique has been popular for over a century, way before computers and photoshop. ^____^

Dodging under the enlarger to lighten and darken certain areas was common I was even shown a darkroom trick where you imprint an bright cloudy sky on one that was just a dull sky. You were dealing with wet phot paper as well, far more tricky the sitting in well lit room with a computer.

That was post work but photography was full tricks long before you reached the dark room. Shooting from a low angle so the model would appear to have a longer legs, arranging the lighting so that the shadow of the nose did not drop below the upper top lip made the nose seem slightly smaller, mind you it looked wrong if the shadow was lower anyway. It may be that, in those days the camera never lied, but it didn't always tell the truth either.

 

[Ken1171]

That was post work but photography was full tricks long before you reached the dark room. Shooting from a low angle so the model would appear to have a longer legs, arranging the lighting so that the shadow of the nose did not drop below the upper top lip made the nose seem slightly smaller, mind you it looked wrong if the shadow was lower anyway. It may be that, in those days the camera never lied, but it didn't always tell the truth either.

I have initially learned lighting techniques from a photographer, since most of it translates to 3D. Cameras as well. You might notice I use low angles a lot in my character renders, not only to make legs look longer, but also to make them look empowered.

 

[JOdel]

And I gather that the pros really break out a bag of tricks when they get into food photography.

 

[Ken1171]

A friend of mine started his career as a photographer exactly on shooting food. It's more complicated than it looks, and it's easy to realize it's not simple when we compare the ads from the largest fast food ads with the smaller ones. Really good French fries shots are hard to come by, and it's easy to recognize the good ones.

 

[Miss B]

Cameras as well. You might notice I use low angles a lot in my character renders, not only to make legs look longer, but also to make them look empowered.

That's true to a certain degree. I was also told the lower the angle (looking up) was more dramatic, then looking straight on to the subject in the photograph and/or 3D render.

 

[Ken1171]

That's true to a certain degree. I was also told the lower the angle (looking up) was more dramatic, then looking straight on to the subject in the photograph and/or 3D render.

I am not sure. I was referring to lowering the camera by only a few degrees. Some people may not even notice it, just enough to let perspective play its role. But lowering the camera way down can make it more dramatic, but that's different from the effect I use in my renders.

 

[Miss B]

Oh I know. I usually set my Main Camera's xOrit to 5, or -5. I don't have Poser open at the moment so can't check, and I don't remember whether it's positive or negative 5, but it's one or the other.